title: Provider-to-provider electronic communication in the era of meaningful use: a review of the evidence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic communication between providers occurs daily in clinical practice but has not been well studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of provider-to-provider electronic communication tools on communication and healthcare outcomes through literature review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Academic Search Premier.
  
  
  METHODS
  Publication in English-language peer-reviewed journals. Studies provided quantitative provider-to-provider communication data, provider satisfaction statistics, or electronic health record (EHR) communication data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two reviewers conducted the title review to determine eligible studies from initial search results. Three reviewers independently reviewed titles, abstracts, and full text (where appropriate) against inclusion and exclusion criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small number of eligible studies; few described trial design (20%). Homogeneous provider type (physicians). English-only studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of 25 included studies, all focused on physicians; most were observational (68%). Most (60%) described electronic specialist referral tools. Although overall use has been measured, there were no studies of the effectiveness of intra-EHR messaging. Literature describing the effectiveness of provider-to-provider electronic communications is sparse and narrow in scope. Complex care, such as that envisioned for the Patient Centered Medical Home, necessitates further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Eugenia L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Siegler
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cheston
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Vawdrey
authors.forename: Peter D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Stetson
mesh_terms: D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D034742:Electronic Mail / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D062527:Meaningful Use / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D060145:Text Messaging / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*